Board of Governors

Carol Lannon
Chairperson— Life-long resident of the Salinas Valley. She graduated from Dominican College with a Bachelors degree. She was owner and manager of Elizabeth Simmons Fashions in Carmel for many years. Carol has served on the Monterey Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Directors Corral de Tierra as well as the Alameda County Diabetes Association. She was president of the SVMH Foundation Board for four years prior to this board appointment and serves on many Foundation and Children's Miracle Network committees.

Susan Merrill
President— A Life-long active community member, she graduated from Cal Poly with as Bachelors degree in Home Economics. She was past president of the Valley Guild and the Entre Nous Society. She is a current board member of Spreckels School Foundation and Growers Ice Co. She has also served on the boards of the Public Rec Unlimited-Salinas Sports Complex and Notre Dame High School. Susan was on our Las Estrellas del Valle women's trail ride steering committee for many years.

Shirley Lavorato
Vice President of Operations— Shirley has lived in Monterey County her entire life. She feels her greatest achievement has been her outstanding sons! She devoted most of her life to her family and participated in many school and charitable endeavors while managing their rental properties. She served on the grand jury as well as serving on the Children’s Miracle Network Gala committee and our Berries and Branches committee.

Karen Fanoe
Vice President of Development— Ms. Fanoe is a lifelong resident of Monterey County. She graduated from Hartnell with her Associate Degree and attended the Grimme School of Fashion in San Francisco. She worked at M' Lady Bruhn as a Fashion Coordinator. She has served on the Boys & Girls Club Steering Committee, Friends of Hospice, American Cancer Society and served as the social chair for the Corral de Tierra Country Club.

Jeri Gattis
Secretary— Lifelong resident of Monterey County she worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Valley National Bank before partnering with her husband in a men's clothing business and investment properties. She previously served as the California International Airshow President and on the Hartnell Colledge Foundation, Natividad Foundation, VNA and Cherry's Jubilee Boards.

Ronald Johnson
Treasurer—Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor of Science degree from California Polytechnic College and is a lifelong resident of Monterey County. He is an active member of Salinas Elks Lodge, Monterey County Farm Bureau, Monterey County Fair Auction Committee, California Rodeo Committee, Salinas Community YMCA and life member of Cal Poly Alumni Association. Mr. Johnson has been an insurance agent over 20 years.

Art Hunsdorfer
Member-At-Large— Art is a longtime resident of Monterey County.  He attended Cal Poly.  He owned and operated shoe stores for 35 years and is currently President/CEO of Cypress Collections for the past 10 years.  He is a member of Cypress Church and the Salinas Chamber of Commerce.  This is Art’s second time around on the Foundation Board having served his two terms from 2000-2005.

Rodney Meeks
Member-At-Large— Mr. Meeks currently serves on our Los Paseos de Los Rancheros committee. He graduated from C.S.U. Sacremento with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He is the VP of Credit Consulting Services, Inc. He has 20 years in the credit/collections industry. He is President of the California Association of Collectors. He has served on the Salina Jaycees Board and is a member of the Salinas Rotary Club, Partners for Peace, First Presbyterian Church, Graduate Leadership Salinas and is an ordained elder, mens small group bible study leader and Sunday school teacher.

Sam W. Downing
President/Chief Executive Officer Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System — Mr. Downing joined the hospital in 1972. He became CEO in 1985. He received a Bachelor's degree in economics and completed his Master's in business administration prior to entering the graduate program in hospital administration. Mr. Downing is a member of the American Hospital Association's regional policy board and previously was a member of the board for the California Healthcare Association and is past president of the Monterey Bay Hospital Conference.

Frances B. McFadden
Governor Emeritus— Mrs. McFadden first joined the SVMH Foundation Board of Governors in 1980. The Salinas Chamber of Commerce honored her with the Volunteer Citizen of the Year Award in 1999. In 1996, the Salinas Jaycees named her Humanitarian of the year. Mrs. McFadden has served on the boards and is a member of several agencies including Meals on Wheels, Monterey County Free Libraries, SVMH Service League and the National Steinbeck Center.

Luis M. Alvarez
Mr. Alvarez has lived in Monterey County for more than 18 years. He is President and Managing Partner at Alvarez Technology Group, Inc. He relocated to the Salinas Valley after 10 years of active duty in the United States Air Force. He retired from the USAF reserves in 2003. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Salinas and a director of the Oldtown Association of Salinas.

Christopher Carver, M.D.
His speciality is Neurosurgery. He graduated from the University of Florida Medical College and has his Board Certification from American Board of Neurological Surgery. He interned at the Shands Hospital University of Florida.

Raul Chavez
Mr. Chavez has lived in Monterey County since 1983. He has an Associates of Art degree in Social Science and a Bachelors degree in Economics as well as having his teaching credentials. Mr. Chavez owns Chavez Bail Bonds. He is currently the Americanism chair on the Elks Lodge 614 board, is a member of Rotary International member, and the board president of Hartnell Western Stage.

Gregory M. Chilton
Mr. Chilton attended UC Davis and graduated with a Bachelors Degree. He is partner in the law firm of Lavorato, House, Chilton & Lavorato. He has been an attorney for 17 years. He is a member of Spreckels Church, Salinas Rotary, Salinas PAL and the Salinas Jaycees.

Stephen Collins
Mr. Collins has been Vice President at Oceanmist Farms in Castroville for more than 14 years. He has been a certified public accountant since 1980 and a graduate school professor at various schools since 1983. He is currently a professor at Golden Gate University and is the chair of the Monterey County Water Resource Agency. He has lived in Monterey County for 43 years.

Julie Dalman
She attended Stephens College and received an Associate Degree. She has 3 children and has lived in Monterey County her entire life. She has volunteered at the Legal Services for Seniors, Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County, Junior League of Monterey County and St. Angars Lutheran Church

Rick Deserpa
Mr. DeSerpa is a partner in DeSerpa Associates, a real estate investment and development firm. A lifelong resident of Salinas, Mr. DeSerpa is an alumnus of both Salinas High School and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. He has participated in The Leadership Salinas Valley program, is past president of The Markham Ranch Homeowner's Association and joined the SVMH Foundation Board of Governors in 2002.

David E. Eldredge
Mr. Eldredge is the CEO of New Star Fresh Foods and new to our board this year. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Marketing. He has served on the Produce Marketing Association board, Produce for Better Health Association board and been a member of the Salinas Rotary Club and the Grower Shipper Association.

Merle Fraser
President of the SVMH Service League. She started volunteering for SVMH in October, 2001 as a Surgery Service Hostess. She has served in the Patient Comfort Ambassador Service since it began in April of 2002 and continue to assist with Museum Tours. She enjoys reading, walking, sailing, and skiing — but family first!

James Gilbert, M.D.
2006 SVMH Chief of Medical Staff – Dr. Gilbert graduated from the University of California San Diego and is certified with the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He did his internship and residency at the University of San Diego Medical Center.

Gerald Dieter "Jerry" Griffin, MD
Gerald Dieter "Jerry" Griffin holds doctorates both in Pharmacy and Medicine and is in practice at Central Coast Cardiology. He completed medical school at Case Western Reserve University in the combined clerkship program with the University of Juarez. He also completed a flexible Internship at University Hospital at Case Western University, and a Residency in Emergency Medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio,Texas. In June 2002, he retired from America's Army and the Army Reserve as a Brigadier General. He was recalled from retirement immediately to serve an overseas tour in support of the Global War on Terrorism. He is currently stationed in Germany, and hopes to return to Salinas at the end of this tour.

Judy Jessen

Bryan Mansour, DDS
Graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Biology and the Medical Colledge of Virginia with a DDS. He also has a certificate in Endontics from the University of Southern California. He currently serves on the Monterey Bay Dental Society as President and has served on the Rotary Club of Salinas, Relay for Life Board, California Dental Association Association Member of House Delegates and at Mary's Episcopal Church on various lay committees.

Carrie McWilliams
Ms. McWilliams has lived in Salinas all her life. She graduated from University of the Pacific with Bachelors and Masters degrees. She has two children. A Speech Pathologist for 14 years, Carrie has also served on the boards of the Washington Union Educational Foundation and Young Life. She volunteers at our Las Estrellas del Valle women's trail ride.

Robert D. Morris, MD
Dr. Morris graduated from the University of Kansas Medical School.  He did his residency at USC Medical School.  Dr. Morris the participated in the Peace Corps in Zaire and Africa.  He was the Emergency Medicine Director of Natividad Hospital and Dominican Hospital.  He is the founder and was the owner of 10 Urgent Care Clinics, “Doctors on Duty”.  He was a member of the Exchange Club-Scotts Valley, Director of ACLS for American Heart Association, Shoreline Community Church member, Emergency Medical Services Board-Santa Cruz and Board of Directors for the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Bill Norman
Mr. Norman has lived in Monterey County most of his life. He graduated from Hartnell College with an Associate degree. He is president at Benchmark Distributing, Inc. and is married with 3 children.

Diane Rogers
Mrs. Rogers graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelors of Art Education. She has taught school in Santa Clara and Salinas and was a substitute teacher in King City. She has served on the Cultural Council of Monterey County since 1998 and works on the American Cancer Society Fashion Show & Luncheon as well as the Boys and Girls Club Capital Campaign Committee. She has lived in Monterey County raising her family for over 36 years.

Jim Smith
Mr. Smith attended San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton prior to living in Monterey County for the past 10 years. He is currently the district manager for California Water Service Company. He was chairman of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency's Urban Water Advisory Committee, President of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board of Directors at the Salinas Rotary Club and the California International Air Show.

Jeff E. Taylor

Thomas E. Verga
Mr. Verga is a Director on the Board of Realtors and the State Director on the Board of Realtors. He has been the treasurer of the Monterey County History and Art Association. He is currently the Director of the Pacheco Club and on the Golf Activities committee of Monterey Peninsula Country Club.

Joan Vincenz
Joan is currently Director of In-Flight Operations and Planning for Delta Air Lines at their corporate offices in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois with a Bachelors degree in Communications. She then received her MBA from Emory University's Goizuetta Business School in Georgia. She was recently appointed to Atlanta Women's Journal Magazine board. She is married to a Delta captain and resides in Atlanta as well as Salinas.

John Wilkinson
Mr. Wilkinson has lived in the Salinas area for 11 years and is co-owner of Blazer Wilkinson LLC, one of the largest independent shippers of strawberries in the country. He attended the University of Arizona and San Diego State University. He has spent 30 years in the produce industry. He and his wife Pam have been married 28 years and have four grown children. He has served on the Cherry's Jubilee Board for three years, currently as chairman.

Norm Yop
Norm graduated from the University of Redlands with a Bachelors degree. He is president of Norm Yop Inc, Realtors. He is the Chairman of the Cherry’s Jubilee Car Show & Festival as well as the Co-Chair for the Car Committee. He is an Elk’s member and Board member of the Monterey County Association of Realtors. He is a lifelong resident of Monterey County.